Born 30 something years ago into a card-playing clan in the North of England: the low-roller's poker odyssey has taken him from the school common-room via down-trodden Midlands' casinos, smoky Cotswolds pubs, celebrity Soho drinking spots and of course the ubiquitous world of cyberspace to the home of poker itself, Las Vegas. Join his search for juicy take-downs, great pot odds and the occasional back-door straight as he goes for glory.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Dusk til Dawn
It's 8.15 and Jake, Gary and I are spoofing for the right to go to bed. I've won already and the other two have made the final table. I've declined my option and am writing to you lot instead. Jake is cooking breakfast and Gary is allowed to bale out after another cigarette. Gary got home at 4.30 to find himself immediately sequestred on a return to the Rio. We went to cheer on Tom Hanlon as he tried to survive to the final 9. We arrived just in time to find them bagging the chips - Tom has made it. He has the small stack, just under $200K with blinds of $12,000-$24,000. The 'grinder' is leading the event with $1,767,000, and the Irish also have the 4th spot with a million in chips. I think I am obligated to support my friend tomorrow, in the name of research, rather than play the Bellagio - that will be there another day. My friend making the final table of a $10,000 event, well that's pretty special and the Irish will be out in force and you all know what that means. Tom arrived jet-lagged on Saturday having failed to qualify for the second week of the European bridge championships - a fortunate turn of events. He managed four hours of sleep, before a fifteen hour poker session. Heading home he bumped into some fellow Irish in the bar at the Wynn, which took him to 7.a.m. Midday saw him embark on Day two and a further seventeen hours of chip-shovelling his small stack. We celebrated with a beer or two (never believe a poker-player) and he has an interview with the TV people at midday followed by the sponsors at one p.m. which should see him net a further $20K to wear their logo and then the miracle mile as the plot reaches its denouement. Tom is relaxed and will undoubtedly be more relaxed with a drink or two. I have just been fed a cracking scrambled egg by Jake, who lost the spoof and am trying to make sense before a welcome return to bed. So there it is - enough for now. A photo or two of my crew and thanks and double thanks to Paul McDonnell (have I spelt that right?) without whom I would never have met these five: Streetfighter-Jake (in blue with a smile), 'Ridiculous' Stu (in an appropriate shirt), Golden Gary (on the right looking £23K richer, and doubled-up Sean - anyone wanting to gamble $10K by backing him for the Main event? He's the best out of us all by a country mile. So the offer's on the table - somewhere under Rainbow we might find the treasure....and now to bed. Evil Dennis declined to have his photo taken as it might mess with his mojo.
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